Perfect Recall
by TracyT
Summary: Rick "recalls" something


Title: Perfect Recall

Author: TracyT

Rating: T

Category: Romance, Humor

Summary: Rick "recalls" something

Spoilers: First season

Archive: Yes, please

Feedback to:

Disclaimer: Not mine, but I wish they were. No profit will be made on this. It was a labor of love.

Author's note: REVISED! I wonder if Kate's books were destroyed in the blast in "Boom!" but for the sake of this story at least one survived.

#######

Kate stretched languorously and settled back against Rick. She was going to be very sore tomorrow, but she couldn't help but think it was worth it. She stroked her hand across his stomach and sighed.

They had only just gotten together so this was still all very new. Last night they'd stayed at her place, and he promised to make pancakes for her—again. She felt his fingers rake gently through her hair and almost purred. She pushed herself up so she was hovering over him and took his chin between her thumb and forefinger before covering his mouth with hers. This would have gone on for quite a while but his cell suddenly rang disturbing both of them.

Rick fumbled for the nightstand and grabbed his phone. "Sorry,' he muttered. "I should have turned this off last night." He looked at the caller ID. "Paula." He gave her a sheepish look. "Do you mind? I'll make it quick."

Kate sighed in disappointment and moved off him to get out of bed. He grabbed her wrist to stop her. "Hey, there's no need to leave on my account."

Kate gave him a small grin. "Well, there IS need to leave on _my_ account." She gestured toward the bathroom. He pulled her wrist closer to give it a quick kiss and let her go.

When she came back she stopped in her tracks. Rick was off the phone, propped up on the pillows looking through her copy of "Storm Rising." She gulped.

Rick-with a cat-who-ate-the-canary grin-turned the pages of the book her way to display the inscription.

Kate closed her eyes for a moment. "I am sooo busted, aren't I?" She crawled onto the bed and settled next to him.

"Yes, I'm afraid so. Why didn't you ever say anything?"

"Oh yes, and inflate your ego even more? I don't think so." She softened the words by pressing a kiss to his neck.

"So, you're one of my groupies, eh?" Kate gave him a somewhat outraged look and smacked his arm.

"I am not a groupie."

"Ah, if only I'd known you were using my body for the fame and fortune.." he began dramatically, when she pinched him and he ended with a loud squawk.

"Stop it." She laid her head on his shoulder. "I never told you this, but..your books helped me get through the days after my mother's murder."

"They did?" His voice was very quiet and serious now.

"More than you can imagine. The summer after…when I saw you were going to be doing a signing at a bookstore in mid-town I decided I would go. I stood in line for over an hour until I reached the table where you were." Kate laughed a little self-deprecatingly. "I had planned all these things I was going to say to you. I was going to thank you for how you helped me through a tough time, I was going to tell you what your books meant to me, but when I saw you…" Her voice trailed off at the memory.

Rick kissed her temple and coaxed, "When you saw me?"

"I was dumbstruck. I couldn't say anything, and you were being mobbed by so many other people. You smiled at me and asked who to make the inscription to. I actually managed to get my name out, and then I just kinda fled." She felt her cheeks burn at the admission.

"Kate," He turned her face toward him and kissed her deeply, cupping her cheek in his hand. "Thank you for telling me this."

"I know you couldn't possibly remember, but I do, and it meant a lot to me, okay?"

Rick furrowed his brow in thought. After a moment he said, "You were wearing a black and white halter dress and you had your hair up, right?"

Kate gaped at him. "What? How could you possibly…" Rick burst out laughing.

Kate looked at him and frowned. "What?"

"Oh, that was so worth it." He chuckled.

"Richard Castle, why are you laughing like that?"

"I'm sorry, I really am. Sorenson actually told me about your connection to my books, by way of threatening me if I hurt you, and he showed me the picture he took of you and me at the signing table, so I knew what you were wearing."

"You big jerk." Kate growled. She turned sideways, leaned back on her hands and shoved him out of the bed with her feet. He fell off the other side with a thump, taking the blankets and sheets with him. He peered up over the edge of the bed like Kilroy, just eyes and messy hair. Kate glared at him from the bed.

"Forgive me?"

"No."

He started to crawl slowly back onto the bed. Kate gave him an evil look, but didn't stop him.

"Come on, I was just kidding around." He reached for her leg but she jerked it away. Undeterred, he started kissing his way up her arm. Kate tried to not see how cute he was and turned her head. That gave him access to her neck. She shivered a little and bit back a moan when she felt his tongue stroke the side of throat. "I love you, Kate," His arm snaked across her stomach to pull her to him. "Let me show you." His breath was hot against her ear.

Kate lay back on the bed and pulled him with her. "Okay, but you'd better be pretty darned convincing," she said with a pout.

"Yes, ma'am." He covered her mouth with his, hiding his grin.

Fin


End file.
